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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · charge · bulb · court · rule · lash · cell · pound

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rule — government
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. court — of a king
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — electricity
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — of law
  18. pound — a weight
  19. court — for sport
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com